MAPPING TUSCANY

A quick round up of my favorite wild hot springs and historic bath towns in Tuscany (more detailed information on spas and rock pool bathing can be found in the single articles the links will lead you to).  WILDERNESS POOLS   PETRIOLO  half an hour to the south of Siena. With its steaming hot water in the upper row of pools a favorite of mine on icy cold winter mornings. The Farma river passes right next to the hot springs. So be courageous and have a splash to try the benefits of kneipping.   SATURNIA  the biggest, most southern and also Italy's best known (and loved!) wilderness pools. The closest option for a soak if you arrive from Rome. To be avoided on weekends.  FOSSO BIANCO  in the Val d'Orcia is a spectacular sight hidden away in the woods below Bagni San Filippo. The shady surroundings make of these natural springs a nice location in the summer.  BAGNO VIGNONI  has a lovely pool below the small waterfall. ...

The most intriguing thing about organic wineries apart of production standards and grape varieties, are the people behind them and the reasons why they chose to go green in Tuscany.  Milan born Antonella Manuli runs the La Maliosa winery in Southern Tuscany according to organic and biodynamic principles - not the first thing you'd expect from somebody who left Italy to study for a degree in business administration in the US.  Antonella was managing director and later president of the Terme di Saturnia Resort until she decided to dedicate herself entirely to her Tuscan vineyard, her two kids and the winning of the odd golf tournament here and there.  Other people are into banking, sailing or shoemaking. Which winds blew you on top of a Tuscan hill?   I come from the business world, but I made a personal and ideological choice to create La Maliosa in a land that I love. Why your particular DOC area? Any interesting facts and figures about your Tuscan wine ma...

Pitigliano isn't just another Tuscan hilltop town. It's the  Tuscan hilltop town. No other of them manages to balance so elegantly on top of a rocky cliff. In fact Pitigliano is also called suicide town (at least by my Tuscan native). You'll get the idea once you look down from one of the buildings located right on the edge; but don't do it if you're having a difficult moment in  life.  Pitigliano's skyline

The real deal: Saturnia rock pools in Southern Tuscany The most famous and also the busiest of Tuscany's natural hot springs lie close to Montemerano in the southern tip of the region. Saturnia's wild pools even have their own facebook page   (with more than 6000 fans last time I've checked). Whilst Saturnia wasn't quite an insider's tip when I first soaked there in the 90s, it definitely has become even better known in the 21st century - at least to judge from the recent parking area and the outdoor coffee bar right on the footpath which leads down to the natural springs.  Saturnia's rock pools are popular for a reason. Quite apart of the history telling us about Etruscans bathing there and Romans giving the thermal bath its Saturnian name, the wild  Cascate del Mulino  (the waterfalls of the mill) are a stunning sight in the midst of a tranquil little valley. And the mineral properties of the warm water are supposed to sort out (or at least calm down)...

My Tuscan native is right. I spend far too much time in front of the computer because of my Tuscany blogs.  But what he forgets is, that I spend many a nondescript winter morning soaking in the rock pools of Tuscany's natural hot springs - because of this blog. Hot springs, Roman baths and exclusive spas can be found all over the world. It's the  natural  p art th at has gone amiss in most places over the centuries. This is where Southern Tuscany comes in with its wild hot water pools in  Bagno Vignoni, San Filippo ,  Saturnia and Petriolo . All of these locations are known for their exclusive Tuscan hotel spas and the public thermal baths. But whatever the historical reasons, they also managed to preserve their simple rock pools in the midst of pristine nature; and even more surprising - free access to all of them.  Petriolo is one of your best options if you want to explore Tuscany's natural hot springs , soak in sulfurous waters or -...

Improvised shower at the natural hot springs in Petriolo If you haven't been in this corner of Tuscany before - this is the time to visit. Driving south from Siena, you'll find something for every taste. For starters you may run into Robert Redford. The documentary Buck, ( a film about the life of a horse whisperer produced by the Hollywood star) has his Italian first showing at the Terra di Siena film festival in Monticiano. Once you said hello and had your share of animal talk for the day, drive along the windy road that connects Monticiano to the Petriolo hot springs further down in the valley  (if you missed out on Redford you can always try again with Sienna Miller in Siena next week).  

San Galgano Abbey  So where's the roof? Gone for centuries. By now San Galgano's top bit has been been off for longer than it ever was on. Even though the abbey's history started well, things weren't meant to last. The Cistercian monks began with the construction of the church in 1218 and finished it in 1288. At the same time the monks were also in charge of the construction of Siena's famous cathedral - San Galgano had quickly become one of the most influential monasteries in Tuscany. 

The Fosso Bianco hot springs and natural pools in Bagni San Filippo If there's one thing I didn't expect when moving to Tuscany, it's the multitude of freely accessible natural hot springs. Day spas and thermal baths can be found all over the world. But when talking hot baths in the wilderness my first guess would always have been a geyser in Iceland.  The generous natural pools near Saturnia  and the hot springs in Petriolo taught me differently. Both places are well known in Italy, a fact that can make them packed on weekends and public holidays. If you like to take your bath a bit more privately, move on towards Val d'Orcia and explore the Fosso Bianco hot springs   near Bagni San Filippo. The waters are as hot as they should be for some comfortable soaking and high in sulfur and calcium (which explains the formation of the white rock and the name of the place).